Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1887-04-29
STOP THE SHIP

ing wind was whistling in the rig
ging and piping among the taut
shrouds of the steamship Sandman,
as she plunged through the Allan
tic surges, homeward for Liverpool.
The sloping decks were silent and
deserted, save for the figure OF the
officer on watch, pacing suddenly
ND and down before the wheelhouse
aud a little group of saloon pas
sengers clustered under the lee oil
the starboard lifeboat on the quar-
ter-deck. There was some bali
dozen of us in all. Two fair Cana
dams on their way to spend the
holidays in the sold country" a
couple of young "subs.," coming
home on leave from their regiment
in Halifax and one other careless
pleasure seeker, like myself, return
ing from a visit TO the Far Vest
We had been whihngaway the even
ing BY singing glees and telling
stories, until the quartermaster
striking FIVE bells 1880 o'clock
warned us that lights would soon
have to be put out.
Not feeling inclined to turn IN,
babe my merry companions good
night, watched them laughingly
down the companion-way, and then
turned aft to have a chat with the
second officer who was keeping the
deck-watch.
"You seem to have had a pleas
ant time under the boat there be
said, after a few remarks upon the
look of the weather and the speed
we were running at.
eyes, and we ended up with a
ghost story, which Mr.. Burton told
about his old grandmother seeing
the figure of her husband standing
beckoning her earnestly away from
a terrace. walk which ran under a
brick fruit-wall in the hall grounds.
She followed him, and scarcely had
she got out of danger before it fell
with a crash Just where she had been
walking but half a moment before.
His friend, wyvill, made fun OF 1t
all, and then we got into a hot dis
cussion upon warnings and second
sight and the rest of it."
"And do you believe in such
things p
oCNot a Bit" answered, prompt
". "Sueh things, as you call them,
never appear to cool-nerved people
in everyday life, but only to timid'
scared, and nervous persons"
81 don't know that. am not
particularly nervous, fancy; and
vet a queer thing happened to me
aboard this ship not very long ago."
and he turned to glance at the
swinging compass at the mizzen
crosstress. '1f you care to hear
about it, III spin you the yarn-un-
less you want to turn in"
So he began his story, whilst the
creaking of the spectre-looking
spars aloft sounded like the moan
of troubled spirits, and the swish
ing of the water under the counter
kept up a mournful rhythm as be
spoke as follows:
1--WE left the Mersey the first
week in May, bound for New York,
with full ship-saloon and steer
age both crowded-and made a
quick run, for she is a fast boat,
and the captain never gives her a
chance of getting far off straight
course.
awe were five days out, and that
evening some Of the gentlemen had
got up a concert, which was a great
success, and everybody seemed in
high spirits at the prospect OF the
quickest passage on record. OF
course this was before the Arizona,
Alaska, and Etruria had aStonish-
ed the world by the wondrous smart
runs which they have made. l re-
lieved Mr.. Jones at four bells and
took the bridge, remarking to him,
as he turned to 60 down the ladder,
that it felt uncommonly cold for the
time of year. Its leaving a warm
cabin makes you feel it, he said,
wishing me a pleasant watch, and
the next moment l was up there
alone.
sit was a pitch.dark night, and
a thick veil of blackness seemed TO
wrap the ship from stern to stern.
There was no wind and the sea was
quiet, the stiffness only broken by
the dull, regular throbbing of the
great engines as they steadily drove
her along. l glanced ahead and
could barely distinguish the watch
forward aud then l turned aft and
saw the dim form of the officer in
charge of the deck leaning against
the port door OF the wheel-hOnse'
"All was right, and l began to
pace slowly across the bridge from
side to side, watching the white
CLEAN of the phOsphorescent water
as it raced past and traiIed away
into the dark expanse behind u.s.
I remember thinking what nut
shell this powerful ship was there
i'm the midst of the boundless ocean,
and how but a thin plate of iron
was between the hundreds of souls
now sleeping helpless below decks
and the graves thousands OF faith,